The 39-year-old California woman accused of killing her former stepfather after allegedly discovering naked pictures of herself on his computer took the stand this week during her trial in San Diego County.
Jade Janks, 39, plead not guilty to murder charges in the death of 64-year-old Thomas Merriman, a butterfly activist.
Merriman’s body was found in January 2021 under a pile of trash in the driveway of Ms Janks’ Solana Beach home after a friend of hers alerted authorities that she had allegedly confessed to the killing, The Coast News reported
Prosecutors in Vista have argued during the trial, which began last week, that Ms Janks drugged and strangled Merriman after discovering he had a nude picture of her as a screensaver on his computer.
The photos were taken by Janks and her then-partner a decade ago — it is not clear how Merriman gained access to them.
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